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Within Lancashire Countryside Service, it is the Ranger Service that manages the Country Parks, picnic sites and long distance footpaths. Rangers have expertise in visitor management, countryside law, ecology and fellcarft.
If you need assistance while using any of our sites or facilities, you should in the first instance approach a Ranger who will be pleased to help you with suggested routes for walking, how to get the most out of the wider countryside, access issues in general or detailed information for college or university projects.
All of our Rangers are experienced professionals whose job it is to make sure that you get the maximum possible value from your visit to the countryside.
Volunteer Rangers
Volunteer Rangers form an integral part of the Lancashire Countryside Service.
Volunteers need to be physically fit and keenly interested in the countryside.
You should be able to talk freely with visitors and help them enjoy the countryside
but you must also be able to deal firmly with those not treating the countryside
with respect. You must also patrol moorland and access areas and you must have,
or be prepared to acquire the necessary fell walking skills. Volunteers must
not have a criminal record (we undertake a background check). .....
Voulunteer Rangers
All part-time and volunteer rangers are required to attend and pass a basic training course. This includes training in the following skills: Navigation, Radio procedures, Countryside Law, dealing with people and emergency procedures. You must also obtain a 3 Year first aid Certificate.
How to Become a Volunteer Ranger
Information for: Volunteer Rangers, Volunteer Information Assistants, at Bowland Visitor Centre and Wycoller Country Park.
For management purposes the County has been split into 4 geographical zones each with a team of Rangers that together are a part of the Lancashire Countryside Service.
Head Ranger - Andrew Greenwood
Northern Zone
Countryside Ranger (1) Beacon Fell Country Park
Countryside Ranger (Vol. Support)(1) Access Areas and Sites
Countryside Ranger (1) Fleetwood nature Reserve
Central Zone
Countryside Ranger (1) Wycoller Country Park
Countryside Ranger (Vol. Support) (1) Central Area/Pendle Hill
Rossendale
Duty and Volunteers only
South Pennines
Countryside Ranger (1) Access Land
Seasonal Ranger (1) Access Land
PLEASE NOTE:
There are no vacancies at present in the Central area, however you can still volunteer for the North, Rossendale and South Pennines areas.
Information Assistant Bowland Visitor Centre (1)
Volunteer Information Assistants Bowland Visitor Centre (2)
Volunteer Information Assistants Wycoller Country Park (2)
Leading Guided Walks
The main duties are as follows:
These duties are carried out whilst on patrol, mainly on a Sunday and on public holidays. As well as carrying out these main duties there may be further opportunities to become involved in:
Practical Work - either conservation or recreation-based
Caring for Local Nature Reserves
Leading Guided Walks
Staffing Information Centres
Rangers need to be physically fit and keenly interested in the countryside. They should be able to talk freely with visitors and help them to enjoy the countryside, but they must also be able to deal firmly with those not treating the countryside with respect. To patrol moorland and access areas they must have, or be prepared to acquire, the necessary fell walking experience.
Training
All Volunteer Rangers are required to attend and pass a basic training course. This includes training in the following skills: navigation; radio procedures; countryside law; dealing with people and emergency procedures. They must also obtain a 3-year first aid certificate as part of their training. The Countryside Service will find places on courses run by organisations like St. Johns Ambulance when funds allow. Upon successful completion of the basic training other training options can be undertaken:
Advanced Navigation, required by all Rangers working on moorland areas; Leading Guided Walks and staffing information centres. On successful completion of the basic training, Rangers are loaned a badge and card of authority and issued with Countryside Service sweatshirts.
Providing information
Responsibilities
Volunteers undertake patrols allocated by Duty Rangers. Whilst advice may be available from these rangers during the day it is essential that Volunteer Rangers realize that they are expected to deal with any incidents arising during their patrol.
Recruitment
This information includes an Application Form, which should be completed and returned to the address shown.
Ranger applicants will be asked to attend an introductory session given by the Full-time Ranger, a visit to one of the recreation sites and an informal interview with the Full-time Ranger, usually no more than two hours in total.
Following this, suitable applicants will be invited to join the Service as Trainee Rangers, to help familiarize themselves with the different areas and the work of the Ranger Service. Having successfully completed the various training modules, Trainee Rangers become Volunteer Rangers. Rota and duties, when available, are allocated in line with their experience. This method gives recruits the chance to participate fully as soon as possible.
Payments
An attendance fee of 10.00 will be paid to Volunteer Rangers and Information Assistants to help with travel and subsistence costs. In addition to this an honorarium payment will be paid twice a year to TRAINED Volunteers who fulfil a rota obligation.
Rangers will have to be committed to a rota of either 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or 4 weeks to be eligible for honorarium payments. Volunteers who do not wish to be obligated to a rota can work on a pre-booked basis to fill gaps in the rota. Pre-booked duties are at the set rate of £10.00 and do not accrue honorarium payment. The maximum honorarium on offer for a Volunteer Ranger over a period of 12 months is as follows:
Honorarium payments will also be paid on a range of extra duties. These duties will include attendance at events, involvement in training modules, leading guided walks and stand-in duties for rota vacancies.
In the event of a Volunteer unable to complete the maximum number of duties, the honorarium will be paid pro-rata.
The Role of Volunteer Information Assistants (Bowland Visitor Centre) and Wycoller Country Park
The main duties are as follows:
1. Assisting the full-time Information Assistant.
2. Offering information and guidance to visitors to the Centre.
3. The sale of items to the public.
4. Administering First Aid within the Centre if the need arises.
In the absence of the full-time Assistant these additional responsibilities apply:
1. Taking responsibility for the Visitor Centre.
2. Managing the sale of leaflets and other saleable items.
3. Assisting at countryside events.
Suitable applicants for Information Assistant duties at Bowland Visitor Centre will be interviewed by the Head Ranger and the full-time Information Assistant. Following this, the successful candidates will be invited to undertake training and further assessment.
Training
There will be a two day training programme which must be completed before any of the above duties may be performed. A one day Customer Service training session is followed by an additional day's supervised work behind the counter. A trainee may then operate as a Volunteer Information Assistant.
Lancashire Countryside Service,
Environment Directorate,
PO Box 9,
Guild House,
Cross Street,
PRESTON. PR1 8RD
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